Allergies and all the attached woes

This has been a particularly weird year for allergies. Those of you in the NW will know what I mean. Summer didn't even start here until well into July.

Yes, that's right. July! Summer in the NW never was kookier.

The good news was we did not have our normal horrible allergy June because it was so wet and cool. The bad news is that now that it is behaving like summer, our grass and pollen allergies are now kicking our butts and winning big time.

The only one who doesn't seem affected is Molly. Go figure! Jake, Shea and I are mucus factories and I fantasize about inventing a tissue box harness so that I can carry a whole box around with me as I try to conduct my daily life. Jake one ups me and decides it needs an i-pod holder with detachable "used" kleenex annex discreetly attached.

I tell him to start sketching, that we may have something here!

Because I have gone through allergy hell for a few years now, I am beginning to notice interesting little things. Like if it rains, our symptoms go away. I guess the moisture knocks the pollen count down or something but it is nice to look outside and be somewhat relieved by clouds and mist in the summer months.

Also, I have eagle eyes peeled on our #1 allergy boy, Shea. Because he is so behaviorally sensitive to his food allergies, I guess I should not have been surprised to find that the environmental allergies have a huge effect on him too. Not just your normal runny nose, scratchy eyes misery but full blown behavior changes.

For example: more clingy, more whiny, less focused, fewer words with a few steps back in his verbal development. I notice that I need to remind him to "Use his words" and that he is reverting back a bit to the crooning and meowing and head butting that he used to do.

Is this all allegy related? I have not the foggiest but it is interesting that it seems to be occurring now.

We are trying something new this year; Claritin and frankly symptoms do seem to dissipate. I feel bad nuking my kid with the stuff but I try to tell myself that the allergies are worse than the cure. If he was a highly verbal little guy, he might be able to articulate whether he feels better or not. But, he is not that fellow.

When asked how he feels he routinely says, "Fine, mom. Good!" Sweet little parrot, spunky positive attitude boy ~ you get my "Put the best face on it" award. But, that is Shea and his life and discomforts are his "normal", miserable with allergies or not.

Unfortunately, our beloved OT takes the summer off and he could be just really missing her and the excellent therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder he usually gets weekly during the school year. Or perhaps his allergies exacerbate the problem? Again, who knows for sure.

So much of parenting is a guessing game. A very humbling, guessing game. I find that I second guess myself all the time, trying for the perfect cocktail of love, work, therapy and play for my kids.

Is it perfect? No. It never is and never will be. It is what it is, as they say.

Wouldn't it be great if we could one day find out if what we did was the right thing to do? Or maybe that would suck! Parents make decisions about raising their children for all different reasons, emotions and situational dynamics. If we found out for sure what did work, we would have to find out what did not work and frankly I am not sure I could handle that sort of reality slap.

So, we skate blind using only intuition, faith, fear, joy and love for road signs. With a bulging box of kleenex in tow. Whatever it takes.

Half way through allergy hell

I haven't posted yet about my own personal allergy struggle. I haven't yet mentioned it despite my house filling up with used Kleenex perhaps because I am getting used to my annual hay fever hell. Or that I don't want to whine too much.

I can seriously say that I don't think I was allergic to anything until I turned 40. Ever since then June hits with itchy, scratchy throat and nose and the most annoying tickle right back there almost in your ears. Raucous rounds of explosive sneezing, not in ones or twos but tens and twelves.

Kleenex at the ready, I arm myself in May. Do I have enough? I stash more fresh boxes of kleenex for the miserable month of June because lord help me if I need to resort to toilet paper, my nose already raw and painful by mid month.

And, then Jake gets it too. At first not so bad but now he is in full allergy swing too. Isn't that sweet? We have allergies in common! Ugh. But, I do share the Kleenex with him.

If I didn't live on 5 acres on an island with vegetation bursting forth from every inch, I might try to discern what the heck I am allergic too for all of June each year. I think I have narrowed it down to grasses but, quite honestly, it could be anything.

I fear and wonder if it is the big sprawling old Locust trees we have here. Planted? Or just sprung up like vigorous weeds some 50 - 60 years ago, now they give our property needed and appreciated shade in the summer. Now is the time when they blossom, large pea flower tight clumps that smell quite sweet then gently "snow" down on us as they fade.

What would I do if I found out I was allergic to the Locust trees? Or all the Scotch broom or all the grasses that go un-mowed on our little island?

Nothing. Just grab more Kleenex.

Perhaps it is the price for living in paradise.

Conifer Pollen and the Neti Pot

You can see the pollen actually floating in the air. It settles like dust on everything.

The car windshield is covered and when I use the wind shield wipers and the squirt, squirt to clean it off it leaves behind a thin yellow paste.

Last night, Jake played tennis. Each time the ball hit the court, there would be an impact mark and a corresponding explosion of pollen.

I wouldn't necessarily know that it is conifer pollen except that Shea brushed against a small pine while we walked in the woods and it puffed out with a large yellow cloud.

Today it is raining lightly, so the pollen settles down and isn't as apparent. But, we are to have clear, warm weather for the next week of so.

Allergy symptoms? Not me. My spring allergies must be something else. Grass? Probably. It hits late May and lasts pretty much all through June. Scratchy eyes, runny nose, itchy sinuses; the whole nine yards. I never had them until I turned about 40, now it is like clockwork every year.

I have tried a variety of naturopathic remedies including the Neti pot. I never thought I would be brave enough to poor liquid up my nose. But, the itchy sinuses were so awful, I gave it a shot. It has to be the most counter intuitive thing to do to yourself but it did actually help. It takes a little practice but I have gotten good at it.

A few tips:

I use a basic saline solution: cup of water and tsp. of salt
Be sure to use warm water, not HOT and definately not COLD
Tip your head slightly away from the neti pot
Do not tip head too far forward or to far back. You will know when it is just right.

It is an acquired skill and does take a little practice. Yes, it is wierd but it does work. And, it is the only thing I have found that sooths my itchy sinuses.

But, honestly, last year it was so bad, I ended up buckling and taking an over the counter allergy medicine anyway. I tried them all and found one that worked for me. I bought a bunch so I could keep it on hand and will probably use it again this year if it is as bad.

There is something pretty horribly debilitating about a good solid month of allergies. And, it's not like I can get away from the grass!

So, we try everything around here.

Trouble maker

I got word that Shea has been getting into trouble from his teacher at the developmental preschool. Apparently, he has been being a real little shit lately.

Little shit is my term not hers and it means:

Won't line up after recess, won't come when called, will hide or climb to the top of the climber to evade the teachers.

Also, he is having a hard time settling down in the classroom. Once he is seated and working or listening, he is ok. But as soon as he is up, he is bouncing off the walls, runs won't walk and won't keep his hands to himself.

This is the kind of thing that doesn't work in the highly structured environment on a public developmental preschool.

She was trying to get him to comply by saying he would miss recess the next day if he doesn't come line up by the count of 5. Well, oblivious Shea doesn't get that sort of punishment when it is delayed by a day. He had no problem missing recess the next day. He hung out inside and helped one of the teachers clean up. He probably thought it was his special alone time with that teacher. Probably not a real successful deterrent.

I suggested that if he won't come line up after recess is over, she should tell him that she was going to call his mommy (the ogress) and she was going to come and take him home for the day. That way I can be the bad cop and he can get the idea immediately that he needs to change his behavior. Let's hope that works.

I have been noticing lately that he is acting like he has bee eating wheat. He gets sort of spacey and swoony and keeps on bumping into you with his head when he eats wheat. But, we are really careful about what he eats plus he is a very picky eater so I know nothing contraband is sneaking through.

So, when Jake dropped him off at the OT's yesterday and she asked how he has been, he said,"Fine but he sure is acting like he is eating wheat lately."

She suggested that it might be the extremely high tree pollen count right now. Huh?

Yes, apparently the histamines that your body produces when you have allergies are neurotransmitters and can effect behaviors. She said that she has noticed a whole bunch of kids are having allergy and behavior problems right now. Symptoms may not be the traditional scratchy eyes and runny nose but behavioral issues too. And, that some children, especially kids who are sensitive to allergies already, can be highly effected by it.

Wow, now I hadn't heard that before! She suggested we try more allergy tests to see what we can find out. Again, wow, I just thought that was really interesting.

I will give our naturpathic doctor a call on Monday and just what these tests entail. He needs his 5 year old check up anyway and maybe we should just get it take care of at once.

Who knows, maybe it does have something to do with the trees?